That LA Times article from last week---the one about the pain and anguish restaurateurs must go through to get permits and licenses from the city---put a fire under the asses of, well, the city. We notice that several spots (some mentioned in that article) have significantly moved forward in the last week. Alas, others still wait.
EAGLE ROCK: Why is it so tough to open a business in this neighborhood? We hear that Lemongrass finally opened "east of future site of Michaelangelo’s (from Silver Lake) and west of future Coffee Table Lounge sports bar (expansion from adjacent Coffee Table)." The Eagle Rock Chamber of Commerce welcomes owners Ray and Jennifer Nguyen, who worked for two long years to open the Vietnamese spot. Hounds wondered if it was opening last fall.
EAGLE ROCK: Nearby, the soulful Larkin's still awaits approval. From the new newsletter: "We have been battling Goliath for the last few months and the end is near... very near. We understand that we have been repeatedly saying we are opening soon... but we have felt on the verge for a long time. With that said we don't have an exact date, but we have been dealing with city meetings and inspections, meetings and inspections, and more meetings and inspections. It's not pretty! Thank you all for your continued support and well wishes, it has really kept us alive through this ultimately difficult experience. We will be in touch soon with news of our opening..."
THIRD ST./BEV CTR: Along with Larkin's, Joan's on Third was mentioned in that LAT article, and while the first still waits, the latter gets closer to an opening date. On Craigslist this week, we see an ad for the "best and brightest in the customer service industry" for the expansion. Definitely on the horizon.
· Restaurant Owners Swallowed by City Hall Red Tape [~ELA~]
